1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector in which terminals are fixed inside passages formed inside a connector housing by allowing a projection formed near the free end of a cantilever-like resilient arm extending into the interior of each of the passages to fit in an associated recess formed in each of the terminals accommodated in the passages, and a fixing member, which is individually constructed, is mounted over the portion where the resilient arms are formed to restrain their outward deflection once the terminals are accommodated inside the passage.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,686,619 and 3,601,760 disclose conventional female connectors in which a fixing member is installed in a connector housing only after terminals are accommodated in their associated passages in the housing with the projections formed on resilient arms fitting in their associated recesses formed in the terminals.
It is currently adopted practice to manufacture different kinds of components of electrical connectors in different places, in other words, in different manufacturing lines such as housing manufacturing lines and terminal manufacturing lines and to supply components so manufactured via transporting means to assembly lines where connectors are assembled from terminals and housings.
Moreover, it is a current tendency to automatically assemble connectors from terminals and housings, i.e., automation of assembly lines.
With the above-mentioned conventional electrical connectors, since the supply of housings to assembly lines involves the supply of fixing members, control of the supply of components to assembly lines is made complicated and time-consuming.
In addition, to automatically install a fixing member into a housing in an automated assembly line, equipment is needed for guiding the fixing member to the installing position, and this causes the assembly line to be greatly scaled up.